


Fitted Haori

by junko



Series: Scatter and Howl [46]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 12:26:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6051559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji wakes up to the news that there's to be a captain's meeting... and he just remembered *he's* the acting captain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fitted Haori

Renji was trying to sleep, but something kept tickling his nose. Byakuya’s hair? He batted at it and that seemed to help for at least a few seconds. Then, that annoying soft, fluttering was back.

Wait, fluttering?

Renji cracked open an eye to see a black, communication butterfly floating lazy at the tip of his nose. 

Somehow sensing his attention, a voice crackled from the butterfly: “Attention, Division Captain.”

Renji tried to cup his hand around the butterfly to muffle the noise, but it evaded him smoothly. “Captain’s over there, ya moron,” he whispered, pointing at where Byakuya lay. Byakuya had turned away, his back to Renji, like he always did when he slept. The only thing visible under the blankets was a bit of silky hair where it spilled out, like ink, over the pillow. 

“For once, I am happy to remind you,” Byakuya said without turning around, his voice heavy with sleep, “That you are the current captain, Renji.”

Renji rubbed his eyes. “Oh.... Right.”

“A considerate captain would take his business into the sitting room,” Byakuya added, around a yawn. Then he readjusted his pillow so that it covered his head entirely.

“Oh, right,” Renji said again, dragging the hair from his eyes. Blinking himself to wakefulness, he considered how to get out of the bed without disturbing Byakuya further. Renji was wedged up against the wall, his body entirely tangled in sheets. He did his best, but every movement not only made the mattress creak and shift noisily, it also sent various toys clattering to the floor. 

Byakuya made unhappy noises and Renji whispered, “Sorry! Sorry! Oh, shit, sorry!” the whole way out. Grabbing his kosode and shitagi from the floor, Renji managed to make it to the door without further incident. Behind him, he heard Byakuya flop over to the other side of the bed and grumble something about ‘clumsy baboon.’

Shouldering into the kosode, Renji tiptoed into the sitting room. His muscles ached and the silk felt heavy against his still-tender nipples. Great. He was about to take a call as captain of the Sixth and his body kept reminding him that he’d been thoroughly fucked the night before. Awkward, much?

Renji took a few moments to attempt to compose himself into a more captain-y mood. He sat cross-legged on the floor of the sitting room and stirred up the embers. Maybe he should put his hakama on, but he couldn’t quite remember where he’d dropped them. At any rate, the shitagi’s long tail covered his ass and most of his thighs. Anyway, it wasn’t like the butterfly was going to transmit video, unless he could remember the spell to make it do that--not that he had the kidō skills, anyway. 

Once the embers radiated enough heat to warm his toes, Renji figured he couldn’t delay the butterfly any more. “Go ahead, but keep it quiet, huh?”

The Soutaicho’s voice boomed out loud enough that Renji jumped back: “All Captains report to a captain’s meeting this morning at oh-nine-hundred. No excuses!”

Renji waited, expecting something more, something less… shout-y and cryptic, but that seemed to be it. He wasn’t even sure he was supposed to reply, except that the butterfly seemed to be waiting for a response. “Um… okay. Er, that is, Acting-Captain Abarai… will be there?” Ugh, could he sound more unsure and ridiculous? What did you say in response to a command like that, anyway? “That is, yes. Yes, sir.”

Ugh, gods. Renji dropped his head in shame as the butterfly took off to deliver his less than impressive first official message as Acting-Captain. The Soutaicho’s impression of Renji was going to plummet after getting that uninspired reply… well, maybe the upside was that Byakuya would get his commission back early.

Renji rubbed his eyes and checked the time. Three hours until nine. Plenty of time to get his head screwed on better and prepare, which was good because… what the fuck was he supposed to wear?

“You should use the sento.”

Renji turned to see a sleepy, bed-headed Byakuya clutching door jamb, as though it were all that was holding him upright. His yukata fell off one shoulder and he blinked heavily, like he was having trouble not falling asleep where he stood. 

“I’ll have Eishirō wake the seamstress,” Byakuya continued. “The shoulders in my haori will need to be let out or you’ll rip them.”

“I can’t wear your haori,” Renji said. There was something about putting on the haori that felt transgressive. Sure, he had the rank--temporarily--but, to actually wear the symbol of the captaincy? It felt wrong.

“You will,” Byakuya said firmly, already turning to pull the bell for the servants. His voice trailed into the other room and back again as he said: “And you will look sharp doing it. You’ll hold your head high and you will represent us to the best of your abilities.”

“Okay,” Renji agreed, because what else could he say to that?

“Your hakama are by the door. The sento will be opening to the public soon, so you’d best hurry,” Byakuya said, standing in the doorway once more. “I’ll have the seamstress here and ready to tailor fit the haori when you return.”

#

As Byakuya watched, Renji lumbered out dutifully, with a sort of grim determination usually reserved for the battlefield. He even had Zabimaru clutched in his fist. 

Renji would be fine. A captains’ meeting rarely required anything more from its attendees than standing still and listening to whatever the Head Captain had to say. That, and putting up with Zaraki’s complaints about time wasted--if he bothered showing up at all.

The only thing that worried Byakuya was the rumor mill. There wouldn’t be a soul left in the Seireitei that didn’t know about the fraternization after Renji walked into that room. With a yawn, Byakuya considered this. He supposed it would do his ‘ice princess’ reputation a favor, in its own twisted way--though the ‘princess’ part would only be underlined and all but cast into stone by the fact that everyone would assume Renji topped.

 _Well,_ he sighed inwardly. _There wasn’t much to do for what other people thought. They would think it, regardless._

Besides, once word returned from the theatre district and the Rukongai, no one would question Byakuya’s ruthlessness. The world could think him a swooning princess in the bedroom so long as they never doubted his swift mercilessness in the field.

That reminded him. He should take some time today to consider which plays he’d like performed in the dozen or more theatres Shinobu seized last night. He’d always wanted to have a legacy in the theatre business. Now he did, even if it was taken in blood.

Turning back to the dressing room, Byakuya thought: _Hisana would not approve._

And, with a sigh, he silently added, _Neither would Renji._

#

Renji felt ridiculous standing in Byakuya’s dressing room with his arms spread out and what seemed like an entire gaggle of tailors fussing over him. The trip to the sento had been perfunctory: a quick scrub and an even quicker soak. Renji’d wanted to sink under the water forever, the heat had felt so good on his tortured muscles and his dread about this upcoming captains’ meeting only growing exponentially by the passing minutes. But, his instincts had told him that this whole haori thing would take time, so he got in and out of the water and back to the estate in double-time. 

Byakuya watched over the proceedings from the doorway. He held a bowl of tea cupped in his hands. His hair was brushed, but without the kenseikan and the still ragged prison cut, several locks seemed determined to fall in front of his face in an almost messy, casual manner that reminded Renji far too much of the bedroom. He really wanted to tell Byakuya to stop looking so damn sexy. It was not helping Renji get in a captain mood.

One of the tailors lept back, a frightened expression on his face. “Did I prick you, sir?”

Renji tried to remember. “Uh, I don’t think so.”

“Sometimes Renji growls when he thinks too hard,” Byakuya said dryly from the doorway. “Take no mind.”

The tailor looked very uncertain, but went back to his work.

“Did I really--?” Renji asked, but he knew he must’ve. “I should probably watch that. It’d be awkward at the meeting.”

Byakuya raised an unconcerned shoulder. “You wouldn’t be the only one. The Kenpachi snarls through most of them, and Captain Komamura often growls unconsciously, as well.” 

Eishirō stuck his head in the room and bowed deeply, “Apologies for the interruption, but Captains Kyōraku and Ukitake are at the door, wondering if the Acting-Captain would like to be accompanied to the meeting?”

Renji looked to Byakuya who was already nodding, “That’s very kind. Show them upstairs. While the haori is being altered, we can all have breakfast in the sitting room.”

#

Byakuya had to hide a smile behind his tea bowl, as Ukitake very earnestly considered Renji’s hair. 

The haori had been swept off with a team of tailors nattering worriedly about the time and the breadth of Renji’s shoulders. Now the four captains sat around an artfully arranged breakfast tray that included large portions of poached monkfish, miso, and several different types of tsukemono. Byakuya’s stomach growled noisily, but he determined to eat in a more stately manner. He could save gorging himself once everyone was away. In fact, he already planned a second breakfast to debrief with Shinobu, who’d come in quite late last night. 

“The bandana is a good idea, of course, to hide the tattoos a bit, but white? With the haori, isn’t that going to be too much of one color?” Ukitake asked Kyōraku.

Kyōraku let out a fond chuckle, “Says the nearly entirely white man, also named ‘Shirō. Darling, he’s going to be standing next to me. I happen to know that I go very nicely with white.”

Byakuya smirked again, surprised that Kyōraku didn’t understand that that was part of the problem: Ukitake wanted no one to imitate his own carefully cultivated look. Not that anyone would ever mistake them, especially with Renji’s rooster red cockscomb.

“Is this… important?” Renji asked a little shyly, around a mouthful of poached monkfish. It was clear he didn’t want to offend the captains, but was very baffled that the entire conversation so far had revolved around fashion.

“It’s about first impressions,” Byakuya explained. “Jūshirō was the same with me. He’s convinced that the best captains have a signature style. It’s entirely down to him that I began wearing the wildflower silk scarf and gloves.”

Renji’s eyebrows went up curiously, though only briefly, before they settled back to a scowl, “But, I’m only Acting-Captain. It’s temporary.”

Kyōraku let out a big gaffaw and slapped Renji’s back, “Yes, yes, for today, my boy. You need to take the long vision, Mr. Renji.”

“Besides,” Ukitake said around a delicate sip of tea, “It’s never too early to have a signature style. Look at your friend Lieutenant Hisagi.”

“I got tattoos on my face, sir,” Renji grumbled. “I’m pretty sure I already stand out in a crowd.”

Kyōraku laughed at that. “He does have you there, love.”

Ukitake pouted a little, “I just want you to look good on your first day. Is that such a crime?”

“I agree,” Byakuya said solemnly, “You should look as smart as possible to represent the Sixth, to represent me.”

Tipping his hat back, Kyōraku gave Renji a look of pity. “You might as well surrender now, Renji. Our partners have decided.”

#

Ukitake decided on a black silk wrap to replace the white headband. In fact, he liked the look so much that he suggested Renji wrap the same fabric around his forearms. Renji did have to admit that the black wraps made his arms look stronger, which was cool. He could even see adopting them full time, since he basically ended up wrapping them whenever he trained with bankai anyway. Turned out, the heavy bone tail was murder on his wrists. 

But, standing there, with the tailors doing their last minute adjustments to the haori, Renji blushed furiously under the appreciative gaze of three captains, with at least two of them looking at him like he was suddenly something quite delicious.

Ukitake smacked his partner’s arm. “Put your tongue back in your mouth, you dirty old man.”

“Sorry, love, but you know I’m a serious connoisseur of the male form,” Kyōraku smiled. “And you’ve made Mr. Renji up into quite the specimen.” 

Ukitake made an acknowledging, yet grumpy sort of hum, which, of course, made Kyōraku laugh uproariously. 

“I should like to point out that Renji is handsome no matter what he wears,” Byakuya said with a little sniff of pride.

“Or doesn’t, I’d imagine,” Kyōraku grinned.

“Stop it, you two! You’re embarrassing the poor boy,” Ukitake said, slipping an arm under Renji’s like a lady, and leading him toward the door. “Come on, Acting-Captain Abarai, we should go and leave these lecherous old fools to fend for themselves. We’re going to be late at this rate.”

#

As Byakuya waved goodbye from the doorway he felt his first pang of jealousy. 

It was just a little stab. After all, captains’ meetings were often interminable. But… the wind had caught the hem of the haori just so and it billowed out behind Renji. The black kanji six, crisp and brilliant in contrast, flapped like a war standard.

Moving away.

Moving away from Byakuya, leaving him behind.

Unconsciously, Byakuya’s hand had lifted, as though trying to recapture his possession, or, at the very least, to shout, ‘wait, wait for me….’

He forced his hand down with the same strength as he pushed away the jealousy. This was merely temporary. Renji would return. Everything would return to normal. Moreover, it was good practice for Renji. Despite his current churning emotion, this was the future Byakuya wanted. 

However, he would prefer not to be around to see it.

Turning back inside, Byakuya ordered a second breakfast and for the young heir to be awoken. It was time to find out exactly what kind of hell had been wrought in the theatre district.

#

Renji was pretty sure they were lost. He’d made the trip to the First Division a million times, carrying various bits of paperwork to and fro. This was not the route he normally took. In fact, if Renji had to guess he’d say they were headed to the Eighth. 

The two captains seemed completely at ease, however, chatting amiably about the warming weather. Apparently, someone in Ukitake’s large, extended family raised sheep, which were starting to lamb. Renji managed not make any snarky commentary about missing-Ukitakes or thunder goats, but that was mostly due to the fact that he kept trying to figure out why they were headed this direction when he was really fucking sure the First Division was in the opposite one. 

It was driving Renji crazy. He was really pretty certain that the First was back that way. If they kept meandering through these backways, he was going to be late to his very first ever captains’ meeting. Finally, when they turned left again instead of right, Renji sucked in a breath to finally protest. But, the air he pulled in was so acrid from an overpowering scent of woodsmoke and burnt flesh that he coughed.

Renji stopped and stared. They’d come off a narrow street in front of still smoldering ruins. Blackened wood stuck up in the shell of the former building like the ribs of some decimated animal carcass. People sifted through the ashes, including a few of the Fourth Division’s fire brigade.

Fires weren’t unheard of in the Seireitei, but something of this one stunk of kidō… an underlying scent of temple incense, heavy and dark.

Kyōraku’s face was hidden behind his straw travelling hat when he asked, “Everything alright, Mr. Renji?”

“Oh, eh… I think we’re going the wrong direction, captain,” Renji said, pulling his gaze from the destruction. “First is that way, isn’t it?”

A dark chuckle was hidden behind Kyōraku’s hat, “Oh, yes, silly me, automatically heading back towards my own Division like this. Oh, dear, we should probably flash step.”

Renji doubted there’d been anything ‘silly’ about this. Only, he had no idea what it was supposed to really be about. With a shrug, he stepped into shunpō.

#

Byakuya decided to have his second breakfast in the library. 

Shinobu shuffled in sleepily just as Aio arrived with the tray. They sat in a patch of sunlight. Despite a cool breeze, the weather was warm enough to have the screens open to the garden. Shoots of green speckled every surface, except those under the deep shade of the ancient white pine. The air smelled of pine sap and sun-dappled mud.

The kenseikan had finally settled into a sort of half-crown made up of six pronged cylinders that perched on the left side of Shinobu’s head, holding back the mass of curls that normally hung in front of his eyes. It would be ready to remove soon and sent back to the forge to add the silver chains. Otherwise, he wore a simple black and white yukata with some sort of busy interlocking pattern that was too much to focus on for Byakuya’s still sleepy eyes.

Breakfast consisted of fried pork with ginger, miso soup, and white rice. Basic, but, Byakuya was happy to note, plentiful. 

As Shinobu poured the tea, Byakuya noticed his hands shook. 

“Something went wrong,” Byakuya guessed. He kept his voice flat and emotionless, even as his heartbeat ticked upwards anxiously.

“I... “ Shinobu’s mouth compressed into a thin frown. Then, he glanced up at Byakuya seriously. “I really wanted to start with the things that went right, because it wasn’t all a disaster, just that last one… which… was… epic.”

Byakuya helped himself to a large portion of the pork. His stomach had constricted at the word ‘disaster,’ but he kept up a stoic façade. “Very well, tell it your way.”

Shinobu took a deep breath. His fingers curled into the fabric of the yukata where it rested against his thighs. His eyebrows knit together, his gaze was fierce. “I want you to know that ninety-nine percent of the things went to plan. Please judge my overall performance on the majority of the evening, honorable cousin.”

He nodded, stiffly, since it was that tiny one percent that stabbed like an icicle deep into Byakuya’s heart. 

Shinobu dropped his head in shame. “Thinking back on it… most of the theatres we seized were shuttered for the season or in rehearsal. It was only the last, a rakugo house, that we came upon mid-show.”

Byakuya took in a slow breath: a crowded theatre, armed men… yes, a disaster was surely brewing. But how ‘epic’?

“I argued with the captain of the guard about how to proceed,” Shinou admitted, glancing up. “You were very adamant that we not engage, but I…. I…. I….“

He seemed stuck on repeat, unable to continue, so Byakuya guessed: “You were swelled by the confidence of the ease of previous victories and chose to press on.”

Shinobu nodded mutely.

Byakuya could imagine what must have transpired: soldiers bursting in disrupting a performance, the riot, and confusion that followed. “Were many injured in the stampede?”

“What? Oh, well, some,” Shinobu said, his face growing paler with the memory. “But, it wasn’t the evacuation that was the real trouble. There was… a shinigami, a very, very drunk and angry shinigami.”

“A shinigami?” Byakuya repeated startled. “This rakugo house was inside the Seireitei?” Even as he spoke, Byakuya was shaking his head, no, in silent prayer, because this could not be so. 

Byakuya had been very, very clear with the captain of the guard that, should any of the properties fall within the boundaries of the Seireitei they were to proceed with utmost caution. Byakuya knew they’d be trespassing on territory Kyōraku could claim as under his aegis, the last thing he wanted was a conflict with the Eighth.

Shinobu’s head bowed again. His shoulders were shaking now, his fingers curled into tight fists. “Everything else went so well… Everything else went perfectly. Perfectly!”

“What happened?” Byakuya demanded. Then, at Shinobu’s flinch, Byakuya calmed his voice. “Just tell me what you can remember.”

“I don’t really even know, there was so much chaos. Somehow… a fire started… everyone was screaming. It was a blur, I barely remember anything beyond the guards closing rank and escorting me home.”

A fire? Byakuya’s heart thudded hard against his ribcage. His breakfast churned in his knotted stomach. Surely the flames must have been contained or word of the conflagration would have been the talk of the town this morning. Kyōraku had said nothing, not even a fishing comment or obtusely snarky one. So, then… just the theater lost, perhaps a few lives. It was bad, but not insurmountably so. 

Shinobu sobbed helplessly.

Byakuya glanced up at him in surprise. Tears? But, yes… yes, of course, he would cry. He was just a boy, an untrained soldier. This was his first… battlefield of a sort. Byakuya instantly regretted having sent such an untested youth to do a soldier’s job. “As you say, the important thing to remember was that the evening was mostly a success. The responsibility for any lives lost is mine, and mine alone.”

Rubbing his eyes, Shinobu blinked up at Byakuya. 

“Get some rest, if you can. Eat. I will speak to the captain of the guard,” Byakuya said, standing up. Shinobu didn’t seem to have the energy to rise to his feet, his head dropping again, like his shoulders. Byakuya knew he should say something more, but he was far more accustomed to speaking to his soldiers than to a civilian. “Your only mistake was overconfidence. A good commander is mindful of his battle pride.”

“But I’m not a commander.”

“But you are,” Byakuya reminded him sharply. “As we discussed before I sent you on this mission, clan heads must, at times, retaliate in blood. We struck a harder blow than intended, but it was justified. It is the Yakimura family that should carry the shame of last night. They brought this upon themselves for daring to move against us.”

Byakuya turned, intending to leave things there, when he heard Shinobu whisper, “You sound just like aunt Masama.”

That stopped Byakuya short for a heartbeat. Then, he lifted his chin, “Well, then. For once she and I agree.”

#

Despite the weird detour, Renji and captains Ukitake and Kyōraku arrived not only on time, but several minutes early. At the huge door with it’s giant number one on it, Renji’s feet stopped working. He stared up at the imposing kanji and tried to remember how to breathe. Something about in… and then out? Nope. He had no idea what he was doing and was pretty sure he should turn around right now and run hide.

The feeling was made worse when a shadow fell over him. The growly voice that followed made Renji jump.

“Six? What’s happened to Captain Kuchiki?”

Renji turned to see a wide obi and a zanpakutō. He looked up, and up… up to the fiercely frowning muzzle of Captain Komamura. 

“Is that why we’re meeting?” Komamura demanded. Stepping forward, his hand fell to the hilt of his zanpakutō. “Is the captain dead?”

“What? No!” Renji said, lifting his hands in a kind of guilty surrender. “No, nothing like that! It’s just temporary! I’m just acting-Captain.”

“Acting guilty, more like,” Captain Shinji Hirako said, his arm casually tucked behind his head. With a toothy smile, Hirako’s arm moved to point languidly at Renji. “You sure you didn’t finally take him out, Abarai? I heard you and him have come to blows before.”

Renji was shaking his head furiously now, though his face flushed. “No, I just… he’s--” could Renji just say the whole bit about the fraternization charges? Maybe he shouldn’t-- “Uh, there’s a thing and I’m temping for a couple of weeks.”

“A thing? Like like funeral thing?” Hirako smirked again. “I’m pretty sure a captain is a captain until the whole the death _thing_.” 

Komamura’s teeth were showing, like he actually thought Renji capable of it. Renji backed up another step and smacked into something hard: Kenpachi’s chest.

“Well, if he finally had the balls to do it, I say bully for him,” Kenpachi said, managing to sound both bored and belligerent. “But I don’t think Abarai would ever take out his boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Hirako’s smile got impossibly wider. How many teeth did that guy have and why were they all so square? “What boyfriend?”

“Please tell me I’m the first to know,” Kenpachi said sounding anything but excited at the prospect. “I’d feel so special keeping your secret for you, Abarai.”

“I just… I…” All of Renji’s words failed him until Kenpachi smacked him on the back. Hard. 

“You got something stuck in there, kid? You probably ought to spit it out before Komamura uses you as a new chew toy.”

Komamura growled at that.

“Fraternization,” Renji said all in one breath. “The captain is standing on fraternization charges. I’m Acting-Captain until his sentence is finished.”

Komamura blinked. Hirako gasped. Kenpachi just shook his head and walked away. 

“Who?” Komamura asked, but then stopped himself. If a giant fox-ogre could blush, Renji would have sworn that Komamura did. 

“Him, obviously,” Hirako purred wickedly. Turning to a group of captains approaching up the long boulevard, he shouted: “Oh my gods, hey, Kensei, Rose, guess what crazy shit is going down now! Guess what passes as Seireitei justice,” he stopped to giggle a little and waited as the two captains came up, “So, so, this guy sleeps his captain, and now he's got the job!”

Kensei just gave Renji a look and said, “Old news, Shinji. I was the arresting officer.”

Rose just smiled in that sad sort of way he had, and said, “And I’ve played matchmaker.” 

They both continued past Hirako, leaving him open-mouthed, eye-twitching. Then with a defeated sigh, he turned and trailed after them, “I never hear the good stuff. Fuck me. If Hiyori were still here, I wouldn’t be out of the loop like this, I swear….”

Renji stood there for a few minutes, but decided he’d better go in before he lost his nerve entirely. After all, that had to be the worst, right? How much more awkward could it get?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Josey's pom-pon waving, I finished this finally. You should thank her. ;-)


End file.
